Safety wheel attachment for vehicles



K. L. HUGGINS SAFETY WHEEL ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES Filed April 1. 1 925 Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT or fice.

KENNETH L. HUGGINS, OF SOUTH HARTFORD, NEW YORK.

SAFETY WHEEL ATTACHIJIEN'T FOR VEHICLES.

Application filed April 1, 1925. Serial No. 20,014.'

. which the following is a specification.

My invention relates'to a safety wheel attachment for vehicles, particularly adapted for automobiles and the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide an auxiliary wheel attached to the vehicle adjacent the main wheels which will serve to support and permit operation of the vehicle should the mainwheels come off.

A further object of the invention is to provide shock absorbing means associated with the safety wheels, for relieving the wheels of the strain and shock to which they ,will be subjected when brought into use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the above-mentioned character which is simple and durable in construction, reliable and eiiicient in use, and inexpensiv to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1, is a top plan view of a vehicle axle, showing my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2, is a fragmentary front elevation of the front axle with the invention attached,

Fig. 3, is a detail view of the attachment showing the shock absorber in longitudinal section, and,

Fig. 4, is a cross sectional view of the attachment showing the arrangement of the steering knuckle arm.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have shown a preferred em bodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 denotes the front axle of a vehicle having a yoke 6 at each end in which the steering knuckles 7 of the wheels 8 are pivotally mounted. As usual the steering knuckle arms 9 are connected together by the tie. rod 10, so the wheels will move in unison when turned by the steering rod 18.

Referring more particularly to my invention, an auxiliary axle 11 is clamped to the axle 5, adjacent each end, asat 12, being curved downwardly and extending longitudinally of the axle 5 towards the wheels of the vehicle. A yoke 13 is formed at the free end of the axles 11, in which theknuckles '14 of the safety wheels 15 are pivotally mounted. Each knuckle 14 has an arm 16 which is connected to theopposite knuckle arm 9, of the wheels 8, by rods 17, so the safety wheels will movein unison with the main wheels. Th safety wheels are of such diameter as to be normally spaced from the ground and are disposed in spaced parallel relation to the main wheels 8. To absorb the shocks to which the safety wheels are upper end of the-plunger 2O has an enlarged head 23 formed integral therewith which moves in the upper end of the bore 21 which is enlarged, as at 24, forming a shoulder 25 to limit the downward movement of the plunger. A compression spring 26 is mounted within the'bore of the cylinder between the head 23 of th plunger and the axle 5, having sufficient tension to partially resist the upward movement of the plunger.

In Fig. 4, the specific construction of they against accidents in event the wheels of 9 the vehicle should come off or be broken. It is of course understood that the vehicle is equipped with four of the wheels, one for each wheel of the vehicle, and should any of the main wheels come off, the auxiliary 105 wheel will be immediately brought into use and will eiiiciently support the vehicle and permit operation of the same until a service station is reached. While it is true the auxiliary wheels will be subjected to con- 110 siderable strain when the axle drops, this is partially-absorbed bythe shoclcaabsorbers withtwhicht the attachment is equipped.

It is: to be understood that the formeof 5 my inventionherewith.showniand described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that certain changes inthe shape, size and arrangement of the parts may be made Without departing'tfromthe spirit 10 of-the invention or the scope of the subgj'oined Tc'laims EHaving thus described :imy invention, I claim: I

The=combirnation With" the chassis and '--wheels :of 1 a vehicle, of: auxiliary i axles :de-

"pending from ithe aaxles vidf *the vehicle avheels, zauxiliary Wheels 1 mounted on said eauxiliary :axles in 1 spaced parallel relation .-;=to' the wheels of the vehicle;-steeringlmuckles axles in spaced gparallel relation to the Wheels of the vehicle, shocl; absorbing means mounted between said main :axlesand aux- .iliaryiaxles, steering tknuckles for 'said: aux- ."iliary wheels and means connecting :said --steering knuckles to the steeringknuckles' of the-"vehiclewheels whereby the same will :move' innunison.

Inv testimony whereof. I I afiix my signature.

KENNETH: L. HUGGINS. 

